News, notes and reader questions about the San Francisco 49ers

June 17, 2011

The 49ers hall-of-fame quarterback had to cancel an appearance in front of the Santa Clara City council on Tuesday after taking a tumble from an all terrain vehicle over the weekend. The accident left him with a black eye and a hurt leg. Montana is part of a group hoping to build a hotel, restaurant and sports bar adjacent to a new 49ers stadium in Santa Clara.

Mayor Jamie Matthews on Friday said Montana and his group have been rescheduled for July 12 and that the hotel proposal will be the first order of business. "From what I heard, he has a black eye and a cut that needed some stitches," Matthews said. "He may have also hurt his leg, and they weren't sure if it was fractured or not."

Calls to Montana's attorney, Robert Mezzetti II, were not returned on Friday. Montana turned 55 on Saturday and was seen on crutches at his birthday gathering. The ATV accident occurred near his ranch in Calistoga.

Montana and his group, which also includes former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., are hoping to build a luxury hotel on an approximately 2.3-acre parcel of city-owned property across the street from the 49ers practice facility.

The location also would place the hotel a few hundred feet from the team's proposed 68,500-seat stadium. The stadium is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2015 season. Team officials are currently working on securing sponsorship deals that would help pay for the $987 million structure, including a naming rights agreement for the stadium itself.

The facility also is expected to receive a boost from a new collective bargaining agreement between NFL owners and players. The two sides recently have made progress on the agreement, which is expected to include a new loan program designed to help teams build new venues.

Matthews said a Courtyard Marriott once was proposed for the parcel but that deal fell through and the city hasn't received any interest in the land in 13 years. "It's a good example of what happens when you have a stadium nearby," Matthews said. "It's brought all sorts of new interest in the area."

MATTHEW BARROWS

Matt was born in Blacksburg, Va., and attended the University of Virginia. He graduated in 1995, went to Northwestern for a journalism degree a year later, and got his first job at a South Carolina daily in 1997. He joined The Bee as a Metro reporter in 1999 and started covering the 49ers in 2003. His favorite player of all time is Darrell Green.